Food Insecurity in the U.S.
By Ellen Bannon
During the holiday season, it is important to remember that not all families will enjoy a table filled with mashed potatoes, turkey, and pie. In Washington, D.C. alone, 14.5 percent of the population experiences food insecurity, which means they do not have access to a sufficient quantity of nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food. Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that in 2015, 27.9 percent of children under the age of 18 in the District of Columbia were living in food insecure households [1].
Each year, the United States produces approximately 133 billion pounds of food waste. Therefore, it is completely unfounded that there are upwards of 50 million food insecure American citizens [2]. Food insecurity is not equal across demographics. It is a highly racialized issue, especially in cities. In the District of Columbia, for example, the lack of grocery stores and affordable, healthy food options in Wards 7 and 8 have deemed these predominantly black neighborhoods “food deserts.” Over the years, structural racism and economic disinvestment have forced communities east of the river to create their own solutions.
On Wednesday, November 14, 2018, I had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion on the intersection of farming and social justice at the National Young Farmers Coalition Conference in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The panel consisted of four individuals from the Baltimore, Maryland, and D.C. area working on urban agriculture and race: Xavier Brown, Zacheri Curtis, Asha Carter, and Denzel Mitchell. The panel discussed urban agriculture as a necessary return to their ancestral roots. Mitchell commented that his work is often not considered farming. His half-acre farm in Baltimore is an integral part of ensuring access to fruits and vegetables in Sandtown-Winchester, a neighborhood in West Baltimore. He recalled an interaction he had with a commercial farmer who told Mitchell that what he was doing was not “real farming.” According to this man, if it’s “real farming you don’t get your knees dirty.” While the work done in neighborhoods of D.C. and Baltimore is not industrial, it is necessary work in communities that do not have access to grocery stores or healthy food. Reflecting on his experiences with urban farming, Mitchell said, “I’m leaving a legacy in a city where you aren’t supposed to do this.” Because of the pervasive food insecurity and structural violence in his neighborhood, activists like Mitchell must find creative solutions to racial, social, economic, and health inequalities.
Brown, who I have had the pleasure to volunteer with this semester for his new food cooperative Southeats, has adopted a practice called “afro-ecology” in his work in urban agriculture. In an article published by Civil Eats, Brown explains this concept: “Afro-ecology is reorientation of our connection to the land, an organizing principle, and the way we express our culture while we grow food and grow healthy people” [3]. He uses this framework as a way to inspire the work that he does in Anacostia. He stated that, “Black people need to return to being growers, builders, and producers, so when we’re consuming, we’re also feeding one another, and we’re feeding our liberation.” A common theme throughout the panel was the idea of reclaiming farming for the African American community. What was once oppressive can now be a method of “liberation,” as Brown says, from the inequalities in modern society.
Urban agriculture and organic, local farming has become the hip new trend across the country. Community gardens have been popping up all over cities, in affluent neighborhoods as well as low-income communities. Healthy eating should be encouraged across race and class, but it cannot be forgotten that urban agriculture is necessary in some communities more than others because of social and structural inequalities. The implications of food insecurity have long-term impacts on health, education, and productivity. These issues are not exotic or far away. There are serious health issues in our own backyard. While creative solutions, such as the programs Brown and Mitchell designed, are making great strides in ensuring health and wellness to all, structural and political changes must accompany this work in order to accomplish “liberation.”
1. "Capital Area Foodbank Fast Sheet," Capital Area Food Bank. http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/General-Fact-Sheet-DC-MD-VA-1.22.15.pdf (accessed Nov. 19, 2018).
2. Bittman, Mark. A Bone to Pick: The good and bad news about food, along with wisdom, insights, and advice on diets, food safety, GMOs, farming, and more. (New York: Pam Krauss Books, 2015).
3. Yoeman, Barry. “The Hidden Resilience of 'Food Desert' Neighborhoods,” Civil Eats. http://civileats.com/2018/09/14/the-hidden-resilience-of-food-desert-neighborhoods/ (accessed Nov. 19, 2018)
4. Paynter, Kevon. “Black Farmers Reviving Their African Roots: 'We Are Feeding Our Liberation,' ” Civil Eats. http://civileats.com/2018/04/05/black-farmers-reviving-their-african-roots-we-are-feeding-our-liberation/ (accessed Nov. 19, 2018)